Blog

It has been around 8 years since the Syrian Civil War started. It has become a conflict of global proportions as global superpowers have been involved in the fighting. In fact, a report by the United Nations released a few weeks ago showed how both Russia and the United States committed violations against International Law in their recent bombing campaigns in Syria. But there is a place where fighting has intensified in recent months, and where civilians and combatants are suffering the most: East Ghouta.

East Ghouta, an area east of Syria’s capital Damascus, has been a rebel stronghold for years. The city has been under siege for five years now, a siege imposed by the pro-Assad forces particularly on the area of Harasta. The Syrian Army, backed by Russia, increased its attack on East Ghouta with a new air and ground bombardment campaign on February 18, 2018. Since the escalation of bombings, 1400 civilians have been killed, and thousands have left their homes.

The fight for East Ghouta has marked a dark moment in the Syrian Civil War, not only because of its civilian toll, but also because of a renewed use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Army. Syria’s use of chemical weapons has been debated this week in the Security Council, and the United States and Russia have been in confrontation over it for weeks. Moreover, there is photographic evidence that the Syrian Army and Russia used phosphorus bombs earlier this week in their campaign in Eastern Ghouta, where they also targeted a school held by rebels. On Monday, at least 16 children and 4 women died in a school in Arbin after an air strike by Syrian forces.

This week’s offensive in East Ghouta has forced more than 50,000 people to flee the area, creating significant constraints on adjacent displacement efforts. The Syrian Army has now recovered between 65 percent and 70 percent of the territory that was controlled by rebels in East Ghouta. Rebels have been forced into three pockets of the area, Babila, Arbin, Harasta, and Zamalka, and Douma.

The effectiveness of the pro-regime campaign that started in February is uncontestable. As of today, rebels from the group Ahrar al Sham, which was cornered in Harasta, have brokered a deal with the Syrian Army to evacuate the Harasta and leave for Northwestern areas that are still controlled by rebels. In the deal there is the possibility for a pardon for rebels that stay in Harasta and give up their weapons. Whether this is a sign of the culmination of the devastating airstrike campaign in East Ghouta is to be seen. In the meantime, civilians continue to leave in masses while the pro-regime forces advance with conventional and unconventional fighting methods.